Martinez hopeful over Cleverley injury

, 29 August, 69comments  |  Jump to most recent
updated Roberto Martinez was was more upbeat about Tim Cleverley's prospects than early indications had suggested from Sky Sports, saying after today's goalless draw with Tottenham that he is hopeful it is only a minor injury.

The early indications from Sky Sports reporter Geoff Shreeves were that the Everton bench feared it was a "serious one" after the midfielder was carried off on a stretcher following a heavy tackle by Spurs defender Eric Dier late in the first half at White Hart Lane.

Cleverley will be fully assessed by the club's medical staff but Martinez told Shreeves: "Hopefully it's not too serious. The doctor is a little more positive.

"We think it is ligament damage but we hope it is a relative minor injury."  

Reader Comments (69)

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Jon Withey
1 Posted 29/08/2015 at 19:37:14
Flipping 'eck Cleverly, I was beginning to like you style !

Oh well, Osman needs a run out.

Maybe it's good to get these injuries before the window, or maybe it makes no difference, heh.

Alan Humphreys
2 Posted 29/08/2015 at 19:39:55
Looked a bad tackle at first. Thought he'd come from behind him but on replay it was from the side bit at full pace. Looked at the time serious.

Looking like a good player of late, somewhat of the glue to the team. Wish him a speedy recovery.

Dier was lucky to stay on as he had a fair few challenges that could have got him another booking.

Chris Wilson
3 Posted 29/08/2015 at 19:40:50
See the picture of the tackle on the Echo? Ankle position is very much incorrect. He's out for a long while. Could be like Oviedo's injury.
Ged Simpson
4 Posted 29/08/2015 at 19:44:02
May force Martinez to play Delboy or Mirallas…or even Ossie.

Feel sorry for Tom...like his effort

Brian Porter
5 Posted 29/08/2015 at 19:46:59
Get well soon Tom. We need you!
Eugene Kearney
6 Posted 29/08/2015 at 19:53:32
Hope it is not as serious as this first report suggests.

Back to Mirallas - and maybe get Lennon back??????

Drew Shortis
7 Posted 29/08/2015 at 19:55:14
I real shame so early into his Everton career. He has slotted in very well and adds something to the team. Not an essential part of how we play just yet but still a big loss. Hope it's not too serious!
Andrew Laird
8 Posted 29/08/2015 at 19:59:02
The picture on the echo website is horrible with his foot pointing 180 degrees in the wrong direction. Looks like it could be a fair few months and then rehab, a shame as Cleverly was proving a very very capable acquisition and we are going to miss his energy.
Liam Reilly
10 Posted 29/08/2015 at 20:05:06
Very unlucky for the lad; was proving to be a good acquisition. I fear this is a long one; another player required.
Mark Tanton
11 Posted 29/08/2015 at 20:08:20
Well considering we're only getting one... "hopefully" said Roberto, don't hold your breath.
Mark Evans
12 Posted 29/08/2015 at 20:10:16
That type of tackle is dangerous in my opinion. Although he took the ball, coming in from the side like that with his left foot, it ends up tangling up your opponents leg in the follow through with the risk of a serious injury. Unfortunately for Tom that's what happened. I hope it's not as bad as it looks and that Tom makes a speedy recovery. It's a shame for him as he was fitting in well and looks a good player.
Jamie Barlow
13 Posted 29/08/2015 at 20:11:12
Didn't Bobby say "minor" when talking about his injury after the game?
Tom Kelly
14 Posted 29/08/2015 at 20:15:40
Gutted for the lad, I was starting to like his style of play. It was one poor tackle of many by Dier today- lucky to stay on.
Peter Morris
15 Posted 29/08/2015 at 20:17:06
Hope the lad is OK.
I also think it was a firm but fair tackle. Cleverley works very hard and has a great set of lungs, unlike Ossie, but like Ossie, he lacks a burst of real pace, and unfortunately I think that has cost him here as he was unable to skip the guy as he came in at him.
Get well soon Tom. We like your style here at Everton.
Guy Hastings
16 Posted 29/08/2015 at 20:24:42
Thought Spurs were pretty thuggish today. Their manager wasn't a sweetheart as a player. Didn't like the tackle at all. A bit more of this then Spurs will be the new Scissor Sisters.
Tony Byrne
18 Posted 29/08/2015 at 20:31:48
RM has just been on Talksport,he told Collymore at first they thought TC had fractured his ankle,it seems it isn't as bad as 1st feared.I'm not convinced as it looked pretty bad,still a long time out me thinks.
Nick Armitage
20 Posted 29/08/2015 at 21:34:06
Even without a fracture that's at least 2 months out. I've had a couple of ankle ligament injuries back in my day and they never heal properly due to the scar tissue. That picture makes me wince, hope he's ok, he was looking a good signing. It'll be bloody sore tonight.
Colin Glassar
21 Posted 29/08/2015 at 21:36:25
Get well soon Tom, you've impressed me since you became a Blue.
Paul Ellam
22 Posted 29/08/2015 at 21:40:36
Hope it isn't serious, he has done well since he joined.
Dom Ungi
24 Posted 29/08/2015 at 22:11:15
Little bit worried Bobby says we are looking at adding just one more signing. Uh oh
Rob Hooton
25 Posted 29/08/2015 at 22:12:00
Tom has been playing well and looks to get forward and play a forward pass, he has been growing into the team nicely so this is a blow. Get well soon lad
Milos Milenkovic
26 Posted 29/08/2015 at 22:15:07
Cleverley was my hope that Barry-McCarthy combination will be broken. I hoped that Tom will play in the middle, with Mirallas on the left.
Tony Abrahams
27 Posted 29/08/2015 at 22:41:12
It was what I would call a sly tackle, and makes a mockery of the laws on tackling for me. He could have easily slid and made Cleverley go over the top of him, but when you come in at that angle it's easy to lock a players leg in between your own two, on the follow through.

Hope it's not too serious, as they are now saying because he's looked a decent player for us so far.

Dave Harper
28 Posted 29/08/2015 at 22:52:49
Gutted for Cleverley - has fitted in well and does a good if unspectacular job.
Eddie Dunn
29 Posted 29/08/2015 at 23:08:06
That was the second tackle of that kind in the game...are they practising the two footed scissor tackle at Spurs?
Tony Ashcroft
30 Posted 29/08/2015 at 23:13:15
Just shows the rigours of the Premier League and why we need new bodies to strengthen the squad.

It’s a bad injury make no mistake. The squad is now weaker than when the window opened in my opinion. Get fit soon, lad.
Si Cooper
31 Posted 29/08/2015 at 23:22:25
Think you need to consider where his knee is pointing Andrew (8) - 180 degrees is impossible without something breaking / dislocating and tendons/ ligaments snapping and he would have been in agony. Probably actually significantly less than 90 degrees, but still potentially a very bad sprain at the least.

The tackle itself bothers me a lot more than others, the referee included, it appears. I think there is a world of difference between a reach around toe-poke and this sort of lunging leg sweep with the other leg scissoring towards the lead leg soon after. The chances of trapping a leg with a large portion of the body weight then following in are high and I thought this was one of the reasons that this sort of challenge is more often than not penalised. Didn’t Seamus get booked for something much less dangerous a few games ago?

Thought Danny Rose got away with same thing on Kone earlier in the game as well.
Minik Hansen
32 Posted 29/08/2015 at 23:23:23
Eddie, just my thought when the second one hit us.
Dave Bowen
33 Posted 30/08/2015 at 00:36:51
Although Dier clearly took the ball first, his momentum and angle he tackled Tom at ensured a scissors tackle and a potentially career-ending one at that. I thought the rules had been changed to outlaw this type of tackle. The wording being "a duty of care to your opponent " or suchlike. If Mark Noble's tackle was a red against the RS, this certainly was.
James Byrne
34 Posted 30/08/2015 at 00:54:59
Knock's me sick to see any player get injured like that; hope Tom makes a quick recovery as he looks to be enjoying his football at Everton.
Alex Rowe
35 Posted 30/08/2015 at 01:10:35
Si (9), I totally agree with you regarding the tackle. These sissor tackles where you take the ball but also take out the player are dangerous and it should have been a yellow card. I couldn't believe my ears when the commentators were saying it was a good tackle.
Harold Matthews
36 Posted 30/08/2015 at 01:36:02
Got the ball then went right through him. Very dangerous tackle. Looked like a Stoke special. Cleverley is a good player. We'll miss him.
Alex Rowe
37 Posted 30/08/2015 at 01:36:12
Sorry I meant Si (24)
Ernie Baywood
38 Posted 30/08/2015 at 03:54:21
I'll listen to Bobby with regards to some things but not injuries. Seems to undersell them every time. Have we got a prognosis on Galloway yet?
James Marshall
39 Posted 30/08/2015 at 05:47:38
I thought Spurs were dirty throughout the game yesterday, and roughed our players up at every opportunity. It looked like a very deliberate tactic which we weren't expecting.

Dier could have, and probably should have been sent off for several OTT tackles. The Cleverley one, yes he won the ball, but the follow-through is reckless at best.

That photo on the Echo is not pleasant viewing - he's very lucky if it isn't broken but the ligament damage will mean he's out for a few months one would imagine. Fingers crossed, as many have said above, he's a good player for us, I like him in the team. Keeps the ball moving, has good movement himself and whips in a decent cross too.

Nitesh Kanchan
40 Posted 30/08/2015 at 06:55:42
Naismith could have got us a penalty had he started it as Spurs were harrying him throughout the 20 minutes after he came on.
Brian Williams
41 Posted 30/08/2015 at 08:26:24
I think Dier was hyped up right from the start and felt he had a point to prove. Generally Spurs were "dirty" and that too looked like a game plan.

With regard to Dier’s tackle he should have had a yellow at the very least because the new rules don’t allow for overly aggressive ones and that tackle was intended to hurt Cleverley, don’t care what anyone says.

It’s a shame because the lad has quickly won over the vast majority with his decent displays. He’s not a headliner but he seems to do what he does well.

Raymond Fox
42 Posted 30/08/2015 at 09:06:55
Shame for Cleverley as he was proving to be a useful addition to the team.

It sounds more hopeful that it won't be too serious.

Sam Bull
43 Posted 30/08/2015 at 10:20:42
I thought the scissors tackle was banned?

A very dangerous tackle even without malicious intent.

Gary Carter
44 Posted 30/08/2015 at 10:43:37
It was filthy, blatant scissor tackle and the boy Dier should not have stayed on the pitch, not just for that but for accumulative fouls as well. The angle he came down on Cleverley could have and may well have seen him out for most of the rest of the season.

I thought the referee yesterday was very weak in general.

James Stewart
45 Posted 30/08/2015 at 10:54:53
Hope it is not serious. Cleverley has impressed me. I don't like him wide left but on the right and centrally he has been excellent. Would like to see him break up the McCarthy/Barry stranglehold, don't care which he replaces as neither offer enough offensively for me.

Andrew Laird
46 Posted 30/08/2015 at 11:18:48
Si #26 The picture is there for all to see and the poor sod was in agony, the back of his boot is in line with his knee cap. Unfortunately for me I broke my ankle so badly years ago that I can now twist my foot nearly 180 degrees (everyone needs a party piece!). Sadly I can no longer dance but I couldn't before the injury either :).

This type of challenge was responsible for Aaron Ramsey breaking his leg a few seasons ago, its a shit-house tackle which is far more dangerous than going through the back of a player for a mandatory yellow card.

Mark Evans
48 Posted 30/08/2015 at 12:37:08
Referees should be looking at this kind of tackle, it’s dangerous. It inevitably traps the standing leg on the follow through with a high risk of serious injury.

Dier could just as easily slid in with his right foot and Tom would have tumbled over the top with minimum risk. As it was he made sure he took the man out as well as the ball.

Anto Byrne
49 Posted 30/08/2015 at 12:38:35
How far away is Ledson from the first team?
Kim Vivian
50 Posted 30/08/2015 at 12:46:40
Like someone already pointed out Pochettino was no paragon of virtue when he was playing and I think he is instilling that mentality into Spurs now. Reminds of Dave Mackay’s Derby back in the '70s (for those who moght remember them).
Raymond Fox
51 Posted 30/08/2015 at 12:58:39
Football's a contact sport and you're certain to get injuries.

We have already reached a point where the defender is barely allowed to tackle. I think it's gone far enough!

Mike Allison
52 Posted 30/08/2015 at 13:07:24
I agree as a general point Raymond, but the tackle on Cleverley was almost designed to injure, by both of the defenders legs going in opposite directions, it is inherently dangerous. Am I right in thinking it wasn't even given as a foul? This on a day with some absurd red cards in the Premier League.
Andrew Clare
53 Posted 30/08/2015 at 13:20:49
Kim#41,
I remember Bruce Rich of Derby and later Everton putting a few tackles like that too. Probably learnt from Dave Mackay. Very dangerous. Tottenham were very aggressive yesterday, Dier especially and Danny Rose.
Kim Vivian
55 Posted 30/08/2015 at 13:59:07
Much tougher years those, Andrew. Gritty to say the least but not entirely for the better though. Players are far more ’highly tuned’ and susceptible to injury these days. Take most of them back in a time machine and they would be as fragile as fine china. Bring most of those those past guys forward to modern footy and they would be shagged out in about 20 minutes.

Injuries back then were far more impact type damage whereas the highly tuned level of fitness these days leads to far more stress type injury whereby the body actually injures itself, or exacerbates the cause of the injury. Hammys a case in point. I don’t remember even a relatively few years back seeing so many hamstrings twanging.

Having done ligaments in both ankles playing footy myself I hope for the best for Tom Cleverley because although you get the fitness back they just do not fully recover their original strength making repeat injury more likely. Again I speak from experience. I guess surgery, ultrasound and so on help these days but just wish him well really. He's a good lad.

Bobby Thomas
56 Posted 30/08/2015 at 14:11:33
#3 Chris Wilson

It is clearly nothing like the Oviedo injury.

Absolute, top of the range, nonsense.

Denis Richardson
57 Posted 30/08/2015 at 15:04:10
Having done in ankle ligaments 3 times in my youth, each time I was out 3 months before I could run around without any pain, let alone kick a ball.

The medical treatment the players get these days will make recovery faster but given the tackle, I cannot imagine he hasn't got any ligament damage and that takes time to heal. He will then need time to get his fitness back as he won't be able to run properly as his ankle gets better. I would be very surprised if Cleverley pulls on a shirt before November.

With two international breaks at least he won't miss that many games - trying to look on the bright side....

Matthew Williams
58 Posted 30/08/2015 at 15:20:42
Look’s like I got it wrong about Tom: he's good enough to replace BOTH Barry & McCarthy.

Here’s to a speedy recovery, lad.

James Stewart
59 Posted 30/08/2015 at 15:25:53
Scissor challenges are reckless whether you get any of the ball or not. Dier was off the ground with both feet a couple of times and it was reckless and he should have seen red.
Tommy Webber
60 Posted 30/08/2015 at 16:02:32
I agree with James (#48). A reckless challenge is a reckless challenge be it with ball contact or not. If players know they can get away with such actions, it can only be a bad thing for both the sport and the players themselves. Common sense really!
Murdo Laing
61 Posted 30/08/2015 at 17:19:14
Anto (#43), good point: Ledson is a talent, most definitely, and we’ve really only seen him in the dead rubber game vs Krasnodar in the EL last season? I suspect he is, like McAleny, not in the manager’s mind right now.

I ponder whether the fix in Cleverly’s absence might not be to move Oviedo into LM position (where he’s most comfortable?) and use Tyias Browning at left back in the absence of Baines and Galloway?

Spurs are labouring right now, it is a pity we were unable to replicate the ambition we showed at Southampton, but I guess that TC was the unfortunate victim of a half time pep talk by Poccetino asking his players for more "edge" as we were comfortable in possession.

Ged Alexander
62 Posted 30/08/2015 at 17:48:34
Eight weeks out....
Mark Tanton
63 Posted 30/08/2015 at 17:49:58
Well I’d like to think we’d use the loan market for this, but:

a) We are not really a ’transfer team’;
b) We probably have enough cover across the middle of the park anyway.

Mainly a thought...

Tony Draper
64 Posted 30/08/2015 at 18:00:34
That bloody tackle on TC was a "Scissor", if that had happened to a Sunday League player, then he would have been chinned.

Stepping on, we now need to fill up our Loan Spots, to shore up our injury losses. Forget this media BS about an EPL club loaning IN players.

We now need #10, RB, LB, CBx2, +DCM, and I mean "Pot Noodle"!

Colin Leary
65 Posted 30/08/2015 at 18:12:04
I see Man Utd have just been beaten. Rooney looked out of sorts. I think after Dunc's testimonial he has realised being older...

Money Can’t Buy You Happiness. Maybe "Once a Blue, Always a blue" is haunting him now inside.

Jim Bennings
66 Posted 30/08/2015 at 19:28:19
I can’t actually believe how quiet the transfer window is at present, there’s nothing really happening in terms of players coming to Everton, it's totally dead.

Still nothing on Funes Mori and still nothing on the two attacking players that Roberto mentioned on Friday.

Denis Richardson
67 Posted 30/08/2015 at 20:05:37
Guess the WP thing doesn't happen on weekends Jim.

If we don't hear anything re the WP tomorrow then we've presumably got a problem. I still don't know how we'll get approval given the guy only has one cap and is 24, so hardly 'exceptional prospect'.

Couple of brown envelopes will no doubt do the trick...

Steve Cotton
68 Posted 30/08/2015 at 20:19:58
In the brown envelope will be 2 tickets to Blood Brothers and a signed photo of Bill from his ’Corry’ days.
Jim Hardin
69 Posted 30/08/2015 at 20:21:59
How is it that Chelsea can get the striker Kennedy from Brazil, who did play for Brazil Under-17s, but not the senior squad, a work permit but we can’t get one for our player yet?

Do national appearances for youth squads count? If not, then I question the FA or whoever is in charge of the work permits over there to explain why the holdup or the different treatment?

Dave Abrahams
70 Posted 30/08/2015 at 20:24:42
Denis (60), it’s a bank holiday tomorrow so maybe that gives about ten hours on Tuesday to sort it out, it also gives the club a get out.
Kristian Boyce
71 Posted 30/08/2015 at 21:23:46
Jim (63), they can sign him but can't play him. That's why they use the loan system to get them work permits in from other EU countries that have easier qualifications.
Andrew Laird
72 Posted 30/08/2015 at 22:01:11
He played yesterday, Kristian.
Kim Vivian
73 Posted 30/08/2015 at 22:52:55
Except it was the first half, Murdo.
Denis Richardson
74 Posted 30/08/2015 at 23:04:57
Right. Forgot about the bank holiday as I’m on holiday myself...

So I guess we won’t be hearing anything till Tuesday... not cutting it too fine again I see.

We’ve so far spent about £6M quid in total transfer fees but got £33M extra in TV money. The difference cannot have gone on improved contracts to 4 players.

Go figure. Still waiting for that rabbit, just can’t find the hat...

Barry Jones
75 Posted 31/08/2015 at 18:32:17
Agree with eveyone, it was a scissor tackle. Regardless of Dier winning the ball, the nature of the tackle is incredibly dangerous and he should have been booked. I hope he recovers quickly, he has started well and it would be a shame for him to loose that momentum.

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